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Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORG Ml 'LLER, OF FRANKIORT-ON-TEE-m, AND. JOHANNES JAENICKE,

CRONBERG NEAR FBANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY METHOD on RECIPROCAL Ao'rron' massa es AND mrnamns rmnnrsunnrvmnb No Drawing. Application filed March 20, 1928, Serial No. 268,222, and in Germany February 9, 1927.

This invention relates to a method of reciprocal action between gasesand' finely subdivided materials.

The reci rocal action between finely subl, divided su stances and gases has already been utilized for various purposes because the large surface resulting from the subdivision is favourable to all processes which depend on superficial area. Examples co m- 10 prise the adsorption of constituents of m xtures, such as gasolines from naturalfgas; also chemical reactions between the gas and substance concerned, such as the separatlon of sulphur by means of gas-purifylng com positions, the'saccharification of starch by means of hydrochloric acid vapours, the washing of gases by means of an atomized liquid, the fractional distillation of atomlzed liquids (phenols from ammonia water), the

' oxidation of metals or oils by means of air or oxygen in the above described state (analogous to the hydrogenation of various substances) finally the evaporation of solutlons,

the production of powder by cooling the atomized melts, crystallization by cooling atomized solutions, performing catalytic processes, and the like.

In all these processes the substances have been finely subdivided or atomized in the gas current by pressure or mechanical means,

and left to the action of the said gas current. The particles werethen carried away from the reaction space (which term is used as a generic expression), by the energy of the gas current, thus necessitating the provision of separating and filtering apparatus for separating the particles from the gas. In these circumstances, the removal of the par- .ticles from the gas current before their full action had been developed,'that is to say,

before their capacity for being charged with gasolines or their capacity for chemical reaction with the impurities of the gases were completely. exploitedwas inevitable.

In order to overcome this disadvanta e, attempts have been made to pass the materlal repeatedly through the aparatus for example in a cycle, this naturally complicating the apparatus considerably and forming a source of troublesome phenomena.

It has now been found that the above de scribed disadvantages can be avoided by employing the process according to the present invention, as hereinafter described. For the sake of brevity, the term reaction is supposed to include any reciprocal action be-' tween gases and finel subdivided particles, that is to say, not on y chemical reaction in the narrow sense but also adsorption, the typical processes above referred to and the likei The invention consists in bringing the gas and the atomized particles together in such a way that these particles are retained in suspension, their transportation is prevented anda maximum duration of the reaction period is assured. To this end the gas is preferably caused to ascend through the dust (which for example 'is distributed in a cyl'inder) until the reactive capacity of the material has been exhausted. The velocity of the gas current is then increased and the zone occupied by the particles is slowly displaced upwardly, while, at the same time, fresh ma terial is charged into the distributor. The spent material is removed at the upper part of the tower, preferably after the gas current hasbeendiverted from the axial direc tion of the tower. Separation can be effected by known devices, such for example, as oyclone blowers, bag filters, or b electrical gas purification, and the like. nstead of this intermittent system of working, the operation can also be carried on in such a way that the ascending movement of the dust or fog zone and the corresponding replacement by fresh material proceeds in a steady and gradual manner, the rate of charging the distributing member (for example a rotating (lisp?l being adjusted accordingly.

e process has the advantage that the particles remain in contact as long as possi-. ble with the gas taking part in the reaction,

and that repeated passage through the appawalling of the tower in, such a way that it stantly is flared so that the cross-section is of conincreasing dimensions in the upward direction, so that the velocity of the ascending gas current continuously diminishes By thlS means any escape of the uppermost particles is reliably vprevented, and they redescend in the more'slowly moving as current. This embodiment, moreover, as the advantage that there is no need to be restricted to the use of a material the particles of which are strictly defined and uniform in I respect of size. It is, of course, self-evident that the rate at which the dust zone is raised by the gas current must be modified accordingl The process may also be carried out by disposing two such conical towers side by 'sidai and, after the material has been exhauste in one, diverting the gas current into the second conical tower, in which a further charge of the material is being distributed. Meanwhile the material in the first tower will have settled down, and can be removed through an opening in the bottom. .If desired, the process may be so conducted that the reverse reaction of the particles for example the discharge, drying, chemical regeneration, and the like, is efi'ected in the tower which has been placed out of action. It is of course also possible to operate in such a way that provision is made, by automatically pulsating gas currents, for the intermittent removal of the exhaust particles from the reaction chamber.-

2. Process of interacting a stream of as l I and a finely divided substance suspen ed therein in a confined reaction space by so adjusting the velocity of the gas stream that the relative position of the general mass of finely divided substance in the confined space direction of flow of the gas stream or in the opposite direction wherein after completion of the reaction the finely divided substance is removed from the reaction space by suction.

3. Process of interacting a stream of gas and a finely divided substance suspended therein in a confined reaction space by so ad justing velocity of the gas stream that the relative position of the generalmass of finely divided substance in the confined space does not substantially change either in the direction of flow of t e gas stream or in the opposite direction wherein the finel divided material is maintained in suspension during the course of the reactionby suction and is removed from the reaction space after the completion of'the reaction by increasing the suc- 4. Process ofinteracting a stream of s and a finely divided substance suspen d therein in a confined reaction space by so adjusting the velocity of the gas stream that the relative positionof the divided-substance in the confined space does not substantially change either in the direction of flow of t 0 gas stream or in the opposite direction wherein the exhausted finely divided particles are intermittently removed from the reaction space after completion of the reaction by causing the. gas stream to pulsate.

5. Process of interacting a stream of gas and a finely divided substance suspended therein in a confined reaction space by so adjusting the velocity of the gas stream that the relative position of the generalmass of finely divided substance in the confined space does not substantially change either in the direction of flow of t e gas stream or in the opposite direction wherein at least two reaction spaces are operated alternately and the exhausted finely divided substance is separated in the reaction space which is out of action.

6. Process of interacting a stream of gas and a finely divided substance suspended therein in a confined reaction space by so adjusting the velocity of the gas stream that the relative position of the general mass of finely divided substance in the confined space does not substantially change either in the direction of flow of the gas stream or in the opposite direction wherein at least two 'reaction spaces are operated alternately and the exhausted finely divided substance is subjected to a counter-reaction in the reaction space which is temporarily not used for the main reaction.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

DR. GEORG MULLER. DR. JOHANNES JAENICKE.

' does not substantially change either in the general mass of finely 

